Personal financial planning

Are you confident that you have a financial strategy that's geared to your stage of life, makes the most of your hard-earned money, spreads the risks and is tax efficient? Are you happy that the future financial needs of your family will all be met? Don't worry, very few people are. But at CFS we'll help you combine the most effective products and services to prioritise specific financial goals.

Financial protection

Whatever your circumstances, we believe that you should always plan for the worst as well as the best. Therefore financial protection should form the foundation on which you build your personal plans. Strategies might combine:

Term life assurance - Guarantees an established sum in the event of death within a specified period.

Family income benefit - Provides a regular annual or monthly income for your family after your death.

Whole of life cover - A life assurance policy which includes an element of investment so the policy can acquire value, making it possible to surrender the policy before death.

Critical illness plans - Guarantees a tax-free sum in the event of a diagnosed critical illness.

Income protection schemes - Regular, tax-free income when an accident or illness keeps you away from work.

Investments

From generating income to growing your capital, CFS can help you build a plan that meets your needs and spreads the risk as widely as possible. Strategies might combine:

Corporate bonds - A 'loan' to a public company that pays a fixed rate of interest until an agreed date when the loan amount is repaid.

Property - Either an investment in a specific building or a paper investment in a commercial property investment plan.

Equities - An investment in stocks and shares that are traded around the world.

Children's Trust Funds and Junior ISAs - A tax-efficient way of saving for your children which includes government contributions.

Tax efficiency

All of our investment strategies will take into account your tax position - as well as that of your spouse or registered civil partner - to ensure you keep the maximum income and growth achieved by your investments.

Each tax-efficient investment is taxed in a different way and therefore suitable to different life circumstances. CFS can advise on familiar investments such as ISAs, OEICs, Unit Trusts and Investment Bonds, or structured products which give a definite level of return on a specific level of risk.

If you're looking to invest specifically to reduce your income tax or defer capital gains tax we can also consider combining other strategies:

Pension plans - A tax-efficient way to save for retirement where the government adds tax relief to your payments. On retirement up to 25% can be taken as a tax-free lump sum, with the rest re-invested to provide an income.

Enterprise investment schemes - invested in
the shares of listed and unlisted small companies.

Retirement planning

Few people arrive at retirement in the financial shape they hoped for. Therefore any long-term investment is a good idea, though the most popular route is through a pension. CFS can talk you through the many options, from personal to occupational pensions, and even self-invested pensions (SIPPS) where you decide how and where your money is invested.

When the time for retirement arrives, we can also help you decide on how to use your pension. For example, if you have enough capital for immediate full retirement you might want to take the full lump sum and maximise your income through annuities or drawdown schemes. If not, you may decide to cut down work more gradually and benefit from the increased flexibility of phased retirement.

Recent changes to pension legislation have significantly benefited retirement planning. Not only are there attractive tax advantages, but the increasingly flexible ways in which you can access your pension 'pot'. Let us talk you through the options so you can make the most of your retirement.

Legacy planning

Legacy planning is all about passing on as much of your assets to those you care about - with the minimum tax for them to pay. From
structuring wills to setting up trusts, CFS can help you plan the best possible strategy.